At AlerStallings, we help families plan for the needs of loved ones with disabilities. For families with a loved one who has a mental health condition, planning for the future is critical because of the lack of resources and services people with mental health conditions have available to them. AlerStallings applauds the Senate’s …

The new Affordable Care Act has important implications for special needs planning. The Act requires insurance companies to cover all applicants regardless of pre-existing conditions. Now that the option of obtaining private insurance is a reality, how will this affect special needs planning?

Financial planning is essential to estate planning for a special needs child. Local financial planning expert Judd Clark wrote an excellent post for the Autism Puzzle blog. Click here to read his article.

Parents or grandparents often leave money to their child or
grandchild, perhaps in a will or trust, or they set up an account payable to
the child once he or she reaches the age of majority. Many times, well-meaning parents or
grandparents are particularly interested in leaving money to their child or
grandchild …

Do you want to leave money for your child with a disability
but fear jeopardizing his eligibility for certain benefits? Pooled trusts are trusts allowed under
Medicaid and Social Security Income (SSI) law for beneficiaries with special
needs. A pooled trust is managed by a
nonprofit organization, which serves as trustee. A beneficiary’s …

Special needs planning requires specialized knowledge to help families plan their legacy for a special needs child (or beneficiary), without jeopardizing the child’s eligibility for certain, necessary benefits. In this post, I am pleased that my mentor and friend, Candace Pollock, agreed to guest post on Ohio …